The Louisiana Department of Health launches a new initiative aimed at reducing maternal deaths from accidental drug overdoses. It’s called Project MOM – Maternal Overdose Mortality. LDH Deputy Secretary Dr. Pete Croughan says while the Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative increased screening rates, not nearly enough mothers have been getting treated for substance abuse.
“Unfortunately, only 51% of folks that were screened were referred to treatment. This is a national problem for folks with opioid use disorder. Less than a fifth are able to access the care that they deserve.” Croughan explained.
Dr. Croughan says Lake Charles was the only region in the state that saw a decrease in overdose deaths through the Bridge Initiative – part of which may involve issuing the prescription drug naloxone to help rapidly reverse an opioid overdose.
“By pulling together across the inpatient and outpatient setting, they were able to start patients on that medication right there, post- overdose, give them a short script and make sure they followed up in an outpatient clinic within 48 hours,” Croughan said.
Croughan says at the start of the Landry administration, there were only three residential treatment sites for mothers with substance use disorders. He says he wants to up that number to eight by the end of next year. Croughan says that’s not the only goal of Project MOM.
“We’re going to cut pregnancy overdose deaths by 80% in 3 years. That’s not just a number. Those are moms who will be around to raise their children, and thousands more who will receive the care that is served,” Croughan said.
Croughan says since 2018, overdose has overtaken every complication to become the number one cause of maternal mortality in Louisiana.
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